Dyslexia

Dyslexia screening is a short and simple way to see if a child shows some early signs that they might have trouble with reading now or in the future. It helps identify kids who could benefit from some extra attention and support. It's super important to know that screening is not the same as getting a diagnosis of dyslexia. Think of it like a temperature check – a high temperature might suggest something's going on, but you need more tests to know exactly what it is. Screening tells us the level of risk for reading problems in general and the potential risk of having or developing dyslexia.

Screeners usually focus on Key Reading Skills and look at things like:

• Playing with Sounds in Words: Can your child rhyme or break words into smaller sounds? (This is called phonological and phonemic awareness.)
• Connecting Letters and Sounds: Does your child know which sounds go with which letters?
• Naming Things Quickly: How fast can your child name familiar things like numbers, letters or colors? (This is called Rapid Automatized Naming or RAN.)
• Reading Made-Up Words: Can your child use their letter-sound knowledge to read silly, made-up words?
• Knowing Letters and Simple Words: Does your child recognize their letters and some common words?

• Teacher will review the DIBELS 8 results.
• The results will indicate a student's performance on various literacy skills known to be important for reading development and are often associated with indicators of risk for dyslexia (like phonological awareness, letter-sound knowledge, rapid naming, and word reading).
• Schools will communicate the screening results with parents/guardians in a clear and understandable way during Spring Conferences. Teachers will share their plan for how they will support you child and provide ideas for how you can support your child at home.
• Teachers will use the data to inform their general classroom instruction. If the screening suggests your child might be at risk, the teacher will do more frequent check-ins and may provide some extra help in the classroom to see if things improve. If your child continues to struggle, the teacher will adjust the instruction and a more comprehensive school team approach could be used relying on a problem-solving framework to plan for next steps. 

• Start with your student’s teacher or building literacy specialists about your concerns. Share what you are noticing with your child’s learning.
• Classroom teachers can provide you with information related to what your child can do, where they are developing and the next steps for instructional supports.
• As part of the school's problem-solving process, classroom teachers will collaborate with specialists in the building to address your questions about your child’s needs.
• Recognizing signs, symptoms and characteristics is the responsibility of all educators as well as implementing instructional supports to address these characteristics. Therefore, a diagnosis is not required to begin supporting a student’s needs.

Conversation starters to use with your child's teacher

Dyslexia is brain-based. 

Possible indicators of Dyslexia could include but are not limited to:

• Slow, inaccurate, or labored oral reading
• Difficulty with phonological processing
• Difficulty with spelling
• Difficulty with rapid naming

For additional features broken down by various ages and grades click below:

• Colorado Department of Education: What Dyslexia Looks Like at Various Ages & Grades
• Understood: Signs of Dyslexia at Different Ages

A great first step is to educate you and your child about dyslexia. The dyslexia resources provided on this page have age-specific resources for students to help them understand and learn more about their uniqueness. You can also read with your student daily and work with your child’s teacher to determine the best way to help your child at home.

For additional ideas click on the links below.

Tools for Reading with Dyslexia at Home

If your child is exhibiting signs of dyslexia, it's important to talk with your child's teacher regarding support that is being provided in the classroom, next steps and appropriate accommodations. Each student is unique and what they need will be specific to him/her. Accommodations aim to level the playing field, allowing your child to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities without being hindered by dyslexia. Here's a breakdown of some common accommodations:

• Multisensory instruction to engage multiple senses (sight, sound, touch, movement) in learning. Examples include using sand or textured materials for letter formation, or using manipulatives for math.
• Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps and providing clear, direct instruction.
• Preferential seating away from doors or distractions.
• Check for understanding by having the student repeat the directions in his/her own words.
• Highlighting essential information in books.
• Small group instruction with the teacher.
• Organize assignments in a book or planner.

This can be very nerve-wracking but also exciting. Your student is neurodiverse, and this can lead to wonderful things! It can also be validating for a student who has struggled with learning to know there is a path to a solution. One of the first steps is to review some resources for your student and understand the diagnosis. As appropriate, you can also talk to your child about the diagnosis. 

Not all students identified with dyslexia will require intensive services such as an IEP through special education. However, classroom supports and accommodations are often necessary for the student to fully benefit from classroom and supplemental instruction.

5 Steps to You Should Take to Help Your Dyslexic Child Thrive